Frequently Asked Questions

First Aid Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How many First Aiders does my workplace need?

Answer: Guidance on the numbers of First Aiders needed in your workplace can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website.

Question: Are the courses suitable for beginners?

Answer: Yes, all courses are suitable for beginners. To attend a Refresher First Aid at Work (two-day) course candidates must have a valid First Aid at Work certificate.

Question: I have a First Aid at Work certificate but it is not from First Aid International, can I still come on the Refresher course?

Answer: Yes, as long as you have a valid First Aid at Work certificate you can book on the Refresher First Aid at Work (2-day) course.

Question: I work in a home for disabled people. Will a First Aid course show me how to administer medicine?

Answer: No, a First Aid course will not show you how to administer medicine. First Aid is the immediate treatment given to someone injured or taken ill before the arrival of professional medical help. On a First Aid course you will learn many important life-saving techniques.

Question: I work at a school, do I need a First Aid certificate in order to give First Aid to a child?

Answer: No, there is no legal requirement for this. Should a child in your school require help then the principle of acting 'in loco parentis' applies. However, in order to give the most effective treatment consider going on a First Aid course.

Question: I manage a nursery. What type of First Aid training do my staff need?

Answer: Nurseries, creches, childminders and similar which come under the remit of OFSTED Early Years are usually required to have some staff trained on the two day Paediatric first Aid course.

Question: What is the legal position regarding First Aid in the work place?

Answer: First Aid at Work comes under the Health and Safety (HSE First Aid) Regulations 1981 which are part of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. All employers must provide suitable first-aid equipment, facilities and first aid personnel to enable first aid to be provided to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. The enforcing authority for first aid at work is the HSE (Health and Safety Executive).

Question: What is first aid at work?

Answer: First aid at work is first aid assistance to people who suffer injury or become ill at the work place. This applies to employees and contractors alike.

Question: Who is suitable according to the HSE to administer First Aid?

Answer: To be a First Aider in the workplace a person must attend and pass a First Aid at Work (3-day) or Emergency First Aid at Work (1-day) course which has been approved by the HSE.

Question: Are First Aid International's first aid courses approved by the HSE for first aid at work purposes?

Answer: Yes, FAI is fully approved to offer HSE First Aid at Work courses.
This approval covers :
Emergency First Aid at Work (1-day)
First Aid at Work (3-day)
Refresher First Aid at Work (2-day).

Question: What is the difference between these above HSE approved First Aid at Work training courses?

Answer: All courses are taught to the same high standard and First Aid International’s network of centres and instructors follow the latest best practice and teaching techniques. The 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work has no formal assessment, assessment is by tutor monitoring during the course. The 3-day First Aid at Work course has an assessment which candidates must pass in order to qualify
The 2-day Refresher First Aid at Work course is a re-qualification course for candidates who already hold the full 3-day First Aid at Work qualification but who need to retrain.

Question: What is the Emergency First Aid at Work 1-day training course cover?

Answer: This HSE recognised Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) training course covers all the requirements laid down by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) under the Health and Safety (HSE First Aid) Regulations 1981. The course is designed to equip students with the first aid knowledge and aid skills to render first aid in a workplace emergency. The full course content can be found on our Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) page.

Question: How long is the Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) training course?

Answer: The Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) training course lasts one day and can be delivered by our team of instructors to your workplace or at our training centre.

Question: Are there any special First Aid training courses for schools available?

Answer: We provide a First Aid for Schools adaption of the Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) training course. This covers all the vital First Aid skills needed in order to comply with HSE First Aid at Work requirements but also concentrates on the important issues facing school staff dealing with pupils. FAI also offer the 2-day Paediatric First Aid course for Early Years and EYFS Foundation stage staff. This complies with the OFSTED requirements for first aid training in Early Years settings.

Question: What is the FAW First Aid at Work training course (3-day)?

Answer: The full 3-day First Aid at Work (FAW) training course is approved by the HSE and is designed to comply with all the legal requirements of the Health and Safety (HSE First Aid) Regulations 1981. It satisfies the first aid requirements regarding having a fully qualified first aider in the workplace. First aid candidates are required to pass an assessment which is conducted by independent assessors.

Question: How long is the full FAW First Aid at work training course?

Answer: The full FAW First Aid at work training course is three days. At our training centre this first aid course is offered over three full days in a row, however for group courses held at your workplace the schedule can be rearranged to suit your requirements, contact us on 01530 512420 to discuss this.

Question: What is the Re-qualification First Aid at Work 2-day training course for?

Answer: Candidates who have completed the full three day First Aid at Work training course will get a certificate valid for 3 years. In order to renew their qualification candidates need to attend this 2-day re-qualification First Aid at Work course.

Question: Am I eligible for a place on the 2-day re-qualification First Aid at Work training course?

Answer:To get a place on the Re-qualification First Aid at Work you will need either:
a valid First Aid at Work certificate from any HSE approved training course
OR
an expired First Aid at Work certificate from any HSE approved training course (the expiry date must be no more than 28 days prior to the start of the Re-qualification First Aid at Work course).

Question: What is the Paediatric First Aid training course about?

Answer: The 2-day Paediatric First Aid course is for Early Years and EYFS Foundation stage staff. This complies with the OFSTED requirements for first aid training in Early Years settings, this could include a nursery, school, childminder, crèche, after school club etc. The course can help you comply with an OFSTED inspection. The course aims to provide candidates with the skill and knowledge needed to deal with first aid situations within this age group.

Question: What is the CPR AED training course?

Answer: CPR and AED stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillation. This course is for people who wish to learn how to provide CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This device can be used to administer measured electric shocks to people in cardiac arrest and is the best way of increasing the chance of survival.

Question: What should I consider when assessing first aid needs?

Answer: Follow the guidance issued by the HSE on their website.

Question: What should be in a first aid kit?

Answer: There is no mandatory list of contents for first-aid boxes and the HSE does not 'approve' or endorse particular products. Deciding what to include should be based on an employer's assessment of first-aid needs. As a guide, where work activities involve low hazards, a minimum stock of first-aid items is given in HSE's free leaflet: First aid at work: your questions answered.

Question: How often should the contents of first-aid boxes be replaced?

Answer: Many first aid kit items, particularly sterile ones, are marked with expiry dates. They should be replaced by these dates. For sterile items which have no expiry dates, it is advisable to check with the manufacturers to find out how long they can be kept. For non-sterile items without dates, it is a matter of judgement, based on whether they are fit for purpose.

Question: What is a first aider?

Answer: A first aider is someone who has an HSE approved qualification such as provided on the First Aid at Work course or the 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work course.

Question: How do I choose the right first aid training course?

Answer: The first aid training course depends on the activities carried out in your workplace and the number of employees that you have. Follow HSE guidance <http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/firindex.htm> in making your first aid at work needs assessment.

Question: How is the HSE involved with first aid?

Answer: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for approving and regulating organisation which provide First Aid at Work training. The HSE also enforces the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Health and Safety (HSE First Aid) Regulations 1981 by carrying out workplace visits and inspection.

Question: Are qualifications such as First Aid at Work and Emergency First aid at Work training gained outside the UK still valid?

Answer: No, the first aid at work and emergency first aid at work training courses are only issued for training carried out in Great Britain or Northern Ireland under the Memorandum of Understanding between the HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland (pursuant to the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1982 and the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981).

Question: Does the HSE run first aid training courses?

Answer: The HSE does not directly run or provide first aid training courses. The HSE approves first aid training courses which meet the first aid training standards for First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981). First Aid International is an HSE approved first aid training provider. Our number is 1397/94.

Question: How long are first aid training certificates valid for?

Answer: Both First Aid at Work (3-day) and Emergency First Aid at Work certificates are valid for three years from the date of issue. Prior to the certificates expiry date candidates will need to undertake an FAW Re-qualification First Aid at Work (2-day) course or another Emergency First Aid at Work (1-day) course, as to obtain a new three-year certificate.

Question: What is the purpose of the First Aid at Work (2-day) training course?

Answer: HSE recommends that first-aiders undertake a half day annual refresher training, however this is not mandatory. The 2-day HSE Re-qualification First Aid at Work course will enable first-aiders to maintain their first aid skills and keep up to date with any changes to best practice.

FAI Website Problems Frequently Asked Questions

If you are experiencing problems using the FAI website, please have a look at the following information:

Question: What Internet Browser can I use to view the FAI Website?

Answer: You can use a recent version or most popular Internet Browsers. Some may display content slightly differently, but overall you should be able to view and use all the functions of the website. These include the latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and MAC Safari. If you are using older versions of these browsers we recommend you upgrade to the latest versions for security reasons.

Question: I have a recent Browser but I still cannot use all the functions of the FAI Website. Why is this?

Answer: In order to use all the functions of the FAI Website, you must have installed/enabled/setup the following browser functions/plugins: Cookies must be enabled. For FAI’s Pivacy Policy and information on cookie usage, please select the link in the menu on the left. Javascript must be enabled. Javascript is enabled by default on many browsers, but if you are finding it difficult to use the menus and cannot see parts of the website that you expect, you may have Javascript disabled. This can usually be remedied via the "Options" or "Security" menu on your browser. For a more detailed explanation of how to enable Javascript on your browser, please check the online help for you particular browser version. Adobe Flash Player (optional) can be installed on your browser. This plugin allows animated content to be displayed in your browser and can be downloaded for free from Adobe by clicking here. No vital areas of the FAI Website use this plugin, but additional content may be overlooked without it.

NEW INFORMATION - If the Time Zone your computer is setup for is incorrect for your location, you will not be able to login to the Member Area. For example: If you are in France but the computer time zone is set to "Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London" and you time is set correctly, you will not be able to log in to the Member Area. To correct this, change the Time Zone to your correct world location and set the time appropriately.

Question: I have checked all the items in this FAQ but I am still having problems. What should I do?

Answer: If you are still having problems, please use the Contact FAI form to describe the problems you are having. Please include the name and version of your browser, and also the page that you are having difficulty viewing. Alternatively you can email this information to FAI.

Please Note
If you use AOL as your Internet Service Provider, you may find problems logging in to the Member Area.

This is a known problem with AOL. In this situation you may be able to work around the problem by connecting via AOL and then using a different browser than the one provided as part of your AOL installation.

For example, once connected, open Internet Explorer or Firefox as a separate application.

Further Information

If the above frequently asked questions does not answer your question then please contact First Aid International for futher information.